Jaybird's Nightmares
by Jadewing47
Summary: Nightwing can feel it, and it feels so wrong. Just like he had felt before Jason's death. So of course he has to check up on his little brother. He just didn't expect to find what he found. And the nightmares... Nightwing isn't sure how Jason coped before he came.
1. chapter 1

It's a quiet night in Blüdhaven, there are no cars rushing down the dark streets, and the loud, smelly buses had retired for the night. The midnight critters had long since gone to their homes, not wanting to risk going out on this quiet, still, suspicious night. And that's just what it was; suspicious. Blüdhaven was just too still, just too quiet. It was the kind of quiet that made the back of your neck prickle, the kind of quiet that made you want to scream just to hear _some_ sort of sound in the dark night.

Dick Grayson, fully dressed in his Nightwing gear, jumped and flipped and swung on his grappling hook, darting across dark rooftops, searching for any sign of crime. But he found none.

Coming to a stop, perched on the edge of a tall, grey building, Nightwing realized that the only time he had seen any sign of life tonight was a late-night worker rushing into his house, and that had been 3 hours ago. It was like the city and all life in it was holding it's breath, waiting for something terrible to happen.

And it felt so _wrong._ So wrong that Nightwing had to take a couple deep breaths to steady himself because it was the _exact_ same feeling, _exact_ same scenario that he had been faced with before Jason's death.

Nightwing scanned the dark sky, the moon hidden from view by hazy clouds, or was it a new moon tonight? Nightwing could not remember.

He looked down into the dark streets of Blüdhaven, even jumping to a couple other buildings, trying to find a body, a machine, a criminal, _something_ to explain the bad feelings...

And then Nightwing's earlier thought process finally caught up to him, like a boulder to the face and he stumbles, landing hard next to a puddle of murky water and the feeling of unease suddenly turns to dread because _Jason._

And this was the exact same feeling he'd had before Jason died, before he was _murdered._

Before any rational thought could process in his head, Nightwing was running, running, running. At a speed that would put Wally West to shame. And he was on his motorcycle, speeding towards one of Red Hood's 'secret' safe-houses that only Nightwing was aware of. Besides Jason himself of course. But then again, he's not even sure that Jason knows Nightwing is aware of the safe-house.

Nightwing isn't exactly sure why the unsettling silence of _his_ city made him sick to his stomach with worry over _Jason_ , who was in _Gotham._ (He thinks) But Nightwing is 97% sure that Bruce has _something_ to do with it, and yet again before he thinks his hand his slamming on the button that controls the communicator in his ear from his motorcycle.

 _We haven't talked in so long..._

"What?" Came a Bruce's angry voice in Nightwing's ear. And then the surpresed anger Dick had been keeping at bay bubbles to the surface.

"What the _hell_ did you do to Jason?" Dick yells, because suddenly he isn't Nightwing anymore. He's Dick Grayson who is worried sick about his younger brother.

"What?" Bruce's voice barks again, but this time laced with something close to confusion.

"Don't mess with me Bruce." Nightwing warns, his voice dripping with venom.

"Dick..." Bruce's voice is hesitant, "What's going on? Did Jason hurt you? Is he with you?"

"Answer the Damm question."

"I don't know how to answer that Dick." Bruce replies, and suddenly his voice is tired.

"Just." Dick sighs, he really didn't want to fight, "did you two fight recently?"

"A couple hours ago, why?" Dick tenses, and that cold feeling of dread is intensifying.

"Nothing, just, sorry to bother you, Bruce."

"Dick, tell me what the hell is going on or so help me-"

"I see any sign of you or Batman around Jason for the next week I will personally make sure you can't fight for a fucking year, you got me?"

"Dick, I don't know what's going on but-"

"You got me?!"

"Fine, I won't go around him. But that doesn't mean I'm not keeping tabs."

Nightwing cuts the call.


	2. Chapter 2

A couple blocks away from Jason's safe-house, Dick parked his Nightwing motorcycle in a hidden spot, and headed for the safe-house. As he ran, his hidden doubts begin to surface in his mind.

 _What if Jason's hurt?_

 _What if he isn't there?_

 _What if he doesn't want to talk?_

 _What if he runs away?_

The last thought struck Dick as the most important. He hadn't always been there when Jason and Bruce, (Batman and Red Hood) had fought. But he did know that they were nasty, and lately whenever Red Hood was aware that Batman had spotted him he ran. So Dick was not confident at all that Jason wouldn't take off at first sight of him. So Dick decided he would sneak in, maybe watch Jason a bit to make sure he was ok. Yeah, maybe he sounded like a stalker... but he was worried about his little brother.

Reaching an old building that had been abandoned for a couple years, convienently hidden from view and in a near deserted part of Gotham, Dick crept around it. The building was small, and it was old. Trash littered around the side, and most of the windows were boarded up. The door was securely locked, but although Dick knew he could easily pick the lock, he decided to enter the safe-house via the window. Unlocking the window in under 7 seconds, Dick quietly dropped into the safe-house, closing the window as he went. Melting into the shadows, Dick scanned the room. It was rather unpleasant, a small kitchen was to his left, along with the locked door. There was an open door which lead to a tiny, dirty bathroom behind Dick, and to his right was the rest of the house, which consisted of a small desk with a black laptop sitting on top, a ratty wooden chair next to the desk, a small coffee table with an open box of bullets, a gun, to knifes, a pair of headphones, and a small picture. Placed a couple feet away from the coffee table was a worn out, dirty red couch that looked like it was going to fall apart at any moment. Jason Todd lay across the couch, an iPod clutched firmly in his hand. He was scrolling through songs, and seamed to pick one just as Dick got in. Before Dick could take in Jason's appearance or make notice that he was there, the song Jason had picked began to play, and Dick was thrown into a wave of memories.

He remembered this song. The movie-soundtrack-like intro of Narcissistic Cannibal began to play. Back when Jason was Robin and living at the manor he used to blast this song in his room whenever he could, especially when he was angry. Then Bruce had gone and bought Jason that dreaded red guitar, and he would play it as loud as he could, screaming the lyrics and playing until his fingers cut open.

Dick was snapped back into the present as Jason began to sing. And as he listened to the lyrics, Dick realized that the song related so much to Jason, it could have been written for him. Also, Dick realized that when Jason wasn't screaming the lyrics to angry songs, he had a beautiful voice.

 _Don't wanna be sly and defile you_

 _Desecrate my mind and rely on you_

 _I just wanna break this crown_

 _But it's hard when I'm so run down_

 _And you're so cynical, Narcissistic Cannibal!_

 _Got to bring myself back from the dead!_

 _Sometimes, I hate, the life, I made_

 _Everything's wrong every time_

 _Pushing on I can't escape_

 _Everything that comes my way_

 _Is haunting me taking its sweet time_

 _Holding on I'm lost in a haze_

 _Fighting life to the end of my days_

 _Don't wanna be rude but I have to_

 _Nothing's good about the hell you put me through_

 _I just need to look around_

 _See that life that has come unbound_

 _And you're so cynical, Narcissistic Cannibal_

 _Got to bring myself back from the dead_

 _Sometimes, I hate, the life I made_

 _Everything's wrong every time_

 _Pushing on I can't escape_

 _Everything that comes my way_

 _Is haunting me taking its sweet time_

 _Sometimes, I hate, the life I made_

 _Everything's wrong every time_

 _Pushing on I can't escape_

 _Everything that comes my way_

 _Is haunting me taking its sweet time_

 _Holding on I'm lost in a haze_

 _Fighting life to the end of my days_

 _Holding on I'm lost in a haze_

 _Fighting life to the end of my days_

The song ended, and for a second all was quiet, before Jason whispered,

"Sometimes, I hate, the life I made. Everything is wrong every time." Then he threw the iPod across the room. He sighed softly, sinking into the couch. Dick watched, frozen, as Jason's eyes slowly close. As soon as they do though, he snaps them open, rolling off the couch onto his feet, growling. He takes one step before his knees buckle, and Dick can't get there fast enough before Jason's head slams against the floor.

 _Review please and I will continue!!_


	3. Chapter 3

_(Previously_ )

 _He sighed_ _softly, sinking into the couch. Dick watched, frozen, as Jason's eyes slowly close. As soon as they do though, he snaps them open, rolling off the couch onto his feet, growling. He takes one step before his knees buckle, and Dick can't get there fast enough before Jason's head slams against the floor._

"Jay!" Dick yells, dropping to his knees by Jason's face. His mouth falls open in shock as he takes in Jason's appearance. His face is pale, black hair dirty and tangled. He's much too skinny to be healthy, and he's trembling, his pale green eyes, faded and drooping. Dick gently brushes Jason's white bangs from his forehead to get a better look at his face, then flinches when he touches Jason's skin. He's so _cold._ Something wasn't right, and Dick was beginning to feel very relieved that he had come. At Dick's touch, Jason seamed to snap out of whatever trance he had been in, and he moved his head, pastel green eyes flickering up to meet Dick's blue ones.

(Dick's POV)

"Dick?" Jason whispered. His voice was hoarse and he struggled to lift his head from the dirty floor.

"The one and only." I reply, carefully calculating my options. It was clear that Jason was not well, and needed help, but it wasn't like I could just take him back to the manor. First of all, Bruce and I were not on good terms at all, even though I'm sure Tim and Alfie would welcome us, I don't trust Bruce around Jason. And Jason would not agree at all to coming home. As soon as we had learned that Jason was alive, Bruce had been searching for him non-stop. But when he finally found him, they had fought and Bruce had been ruthless, going into full Batman mode. (I had found the video feed, and I herd Jason's pained grunts and yells.) Now Jason wouldn't even come _near_ any of the Bats, and he certainly would not want to come home.

But it also wasn't like I could just leave him here either. The safe-house was dirty and smelly. It was obvious that Jason did not have very much food because he wasn't eating anything, and by the looks of it, he wasn't getting enough sleep either.

No, I couldn't leave him here.

Fear lit up in Jason's eyes and he began to weakly struggle.

"N-no! No no you can't! Please!" He screams, but it comes out more like a strangled choke.

"Jason, hey what's wrong?"

"No no you can't take me back! Please Dick y-you can't!" he begs. Admist his struggling, Jason managed to get into a sitting position, and now he slumps against me, breathing heavily and shaking violently. I'm at loss of what to say. I knew Jason wouldn't want to come to the manor, but I didn't know that he would freak-out this much. I decided to play dumb.

"Why?" I ask softly. Jason freezes, and I can feel his muscles go super tense. He shakes his head, lips pressed firmly closed.

"Please Jaybird, I promise I won't take you ok? Just tell me why."

Jason lifts his head slowly, and whisperers so softly I have to stain to hear,

"Bruce hates me. I-I'm a monster. He doesn't w-want me in his family, a-anymore. He never did." A feeling akin to guilt floods my system, and I mentally stagger back.

"Oh God Jay no, that's not tr-"

"Don't lie to me " he snarls, trying one again to get up but failing miserably.

I scoop him up into my arms, shocked and worried about how skinny he is. Jason gives a tiny yelp, but then quietly leans into me. This also concerns me. As much as I love hugs and stuff, Jason wasn't someone who would ever willingly give up like that. Something was seriously wrong with him, and I felt guilty for not getting there quicker. I find Jason's precious leather jacket on the floor beside two guns and his red gloves.

With that, I find his keys and get out of the safe-house the normal human way, through the door, locking it behind me and carrying Jay to my motorcycle, securing him in front of me and speeding away to my apartment in Bludhaven.


	4. Chapter 4

Upon reaching my apartment, I'm forced to use my grappling hook to break in through the window, pulling Jason inside with me. Jason makes no protest, his body is limp, cold, and lifeless. His eyes are dim and staring up at nothing. In fact, the only reason Dick knew Jason was alive was because of his choked breathing and faint heartbeat. Had Jason been breathing quietly, Dick would have been panicking as he tried to get a pulse.

Pulling Jason through the window, Dick renables his security system, drawing the dark curtains closed and turning on the lights. Compared to Jason's safe-house, Dick's apartment was a mansion. Dick stood with Jason leaning against him in a moderately-sized living room, in front of a large, dark blue couch. The television was behind them, with a chestnut coloured bookshelf on each side full of books, movies, and video games. There was a dark blue carpet, and a chestnut coffee table in front of them. To the right was the bathroom and Dick's bedroom, and to their left was the kitchen a small dining room. Dick brought Jason to his bedroom. The walls were a light ocean shade of blue. The floor was wooden. In the left side of the room was a small bookshelf and a desk. The desk had a laptop and a closed file sitting on top. In the center of the room was Dick's bed, with orange sheets and blankets. There was a small nightstand with a lamp to the left of the bed, and to the right sat the closet and dresser.

Laying Jason down on the bed, Dick pondered what to do. The first concern on his mind was what was wrong with Jay, and he wondered how to approach that. Dick dragged his desk chair to the bed and sat beside Jason's head.

"Are you hurt?" He asked. It took a couple long seconds for Jason to tear his blank gaze from the ceiling to Dick, but he did.

"Huh?" Jason said slowly, confusion written on his face.

"Bruce told me you and him had a fight recently." Dick explained, watching Jason's muscles go tense.

"I know how ruthless he can be in "full Batman mode"," Dick explained, hoping to ease some of the tension from Jason's body. "You seemed really...not okay in your apartment, this is me trying to figure out what's wrong." Dick frowned when the tension in Jason only seemed to increase.

"Nothing's wrong." Jason snapped. He seemed to take in his surroundings. "Where are we?" he asked, frowning. Dick was confused, _Didn't Jason recognize the place?_

"I-It's my apartment." Dick replied, and Jason seemed to frown more.

"Really?" He asked, and when Dick nodded, "Oh. It's...nice." he said, sorrow claiming his tone. Dick felt a tug on his heart. He guessed that Jason hadn't really seen a place as nice as Dick's after his "death". Pushing those thoughts aside, Dick still had questions, questions that needed answers.

"I'm still confused, and worried Jay," Dick said, and if Jason had at all relaxed, he definitely wasn't now. "What happened back there?" Jason's face took a dark pained look, and he turned away from Dick.

"Don't worry about it," Jason growled. The next part Jason probably didn't intend for Dick to hear, but he did, and it killed him.

"It's not like anybody ever did, so why start now?"


	5. Chapter 5

I jumped up, in the process hitting his leg with my arm by accident. Jason screamed, his body arching back before going limp once again.

"Jay!" I yell.

"Jason!" At first I think he's passed out, but then I hear him growl through gritted teeth,

"Shut. up."

"Lemme see."

"It's nothing."

 _If it was nothing then you wouldn't have screamed._

 _"Jay, lemme see."_ I insist. Jason growled, but tears are beginning to shine in his eyes.

"Leg's not bad." He said softly. He opens his mouth, as if about to say something, but then decides against it and snaps it shut.

I sit beside him on the bed, next to his face, gripping his shoulders and gently pulling him to lay on his back. Jason flinches, and bites his lip, _hard._

"Jay."

No response.

"Come on Jaybird." Still nothing, however tears are threatening to spill from his eyes.

 _"BlueJay,"_ I whisper, using his old nickname, his eyes meet mine, and the tears are falling. I grip his hands, gently rubbing small circles on them with my thumbs.

"What did Bruce do?" Because I know. I know something about that fight has something to do with it. Jason whimpers, and gestures to his abdomen.

Bile rises in my throat as I spot the hilt of a bat-a-rang embedded in Jason's side. _How could he? How could Bruce do that? Hell, h_ _ow could I not notice that?_ Jason's crying hard now, and desperately trying to explain to me what had happened.

"I-I wasn't fast enough." he says first, though stops when I meet his eyes. We both know that he is. I've watched him dodge Bruce's attacks so many times. Yeah, no one was perfect, but if Jason was going down, it wasn't gonna be by one of Batman's batarangs, not even if he was super unfocused. Something was up.

Jason, knowing that I wasn't buying it, seemed to deflate.

"I-no. That's not-I mean, you know-I-I just, I-I don't know I..." My grip on Jason's hand's tighten slightly, and I squeeze them in what I hope is reassuring.

"Jay, what happened?" I ask softly, refusing to break eye contact with him.

"I...I didn't dodge. I-I didn't want to. I don't know why, I just," Jason's eyes are filled with pain, "I crawled out of my own grave, my fingernails ripped off as I broke the top of the coffin off. I crawled out and it was raining, and there was dirt in my mouth and I hurt everywhere, and-" Jason cuts himself off, his breaths are harsh and panicked. He was going to have a panic attack if I didn't act quick.

"Hey, shuush," I whispered, stroking Jason's white bangs and whispering nonsense to him. " I get it Jay, I really do. You were alone and in pain. Fuck, who am I kidding? You still are in pain, I can see it now, even more than you probably were before. Jay, I know I haven't been the best big brother to you. Ugh, fuck it. I haven't been a big brother to you at all. I wish I could say that I knew what you felt like, what you still feel like, but I can't really. I felt sorta like you had when I found out that Bruce had given you Robin. But it wasn't really like how you felt. I had already moved on. But still, I resented you at first, but then you grew on me. I didn't really know how to apologize or change my behavior. But, Jay, lemme try now. I love you. I know you might think differently, but, oh god Jay I really do. J-jay, I _can't_ lose you again. You are worth it, so much. And if you can't see that you are to everyone else, then see that you are to me. I _love you._ Please, dodge next time. Please Jay. Promise me you'll dodge." I could feel the tears streaming down my face, and the shocked look in Jason's eyes hurts me, but he gives me a weak smile, one that actually reaches his eyes.

"o-okay," he whispers, "I promise." and for a moment there, we are just two brothers, with a new-found bond that feels so big and beyond me that it's unbreakable...

But the moment ends when Jason suddenly leans to the side, coughing up blood.

 **Review and I will continue. I'm thinking about making this a long story, like Jason moving in with Dick and how that goes and all that stuff. Tell me what you think!**

 **Jadewing out!**


	6. Chapter 6

Dick was really beginning to regret not hiding a first aid kit in his room, as the only ones he had were located in the kitchen and the bathroom. The bathroom provided the least amount of distance from Dick's room, yet it was still a little ways down the hall. Dick stands, bile rising to his throat as he stares at the bat-a-rang embedded in Jason's abdomen.

"I'm gonna go and get the first aid kit, I'm gonna help you Jay, I'll be right back." Dick murmurs, beginning to walk out of the room. He needed to do this _fast._

Dick is stopped by a hand wrapping around his, squeezing it painfully tight.

" _Please_ ," Jason begs, his eyes are blown wide with fear, and there is blood on his face from his coughing fit. "Don't leave." Dick feels his heart give a painful lurch. "I'm gonna come back, I promise, but I need to fix you up so you can heal." Dick reassures him, and Jason reluctantly lowers his hand, his head flopping back into the bed. It takes Dick a few minutes to retrieve the first aid kit and return to Jason's side, as his hasty steps had faltered mid-way through the hallway as a thought entered his head. _Jason had been stabbed. Stabbed. And all he had been doing was laying on his couch. Did he... did he not want to get medical help?_ Dick wanted to scream. Why hadn't any of the Bat's noticed Jason's pain earlier?

oOo

It takes Dick a good twenty minutes to coax Jason into listing his injuries. When he does, Jason's voice is dead, flat, devoid of all emotion. Three cracked ribs, fracture to his left leg, bullet wound in his shoulder, and of course, the bat-a-rang. But these are only the physical injuries. Dick knows there are more, and he can point some out himself just by looking at his younger brother. Jason hasn't been eating. Dick suspects that. Jason's body temperature is concerningly low, his face is pale, he is really weak, etc. Dick's assumption is also based on all the other information he has gathered that pointed to a rather screwed-up mental state, Jason is choosing not to eat. The thought brings tears to Dick's eyes, but he furiously binks them away. After all, it was an educated guess, not a fact.

Second issue is sleep. The huge dark circles under Jason's eyes, and basically everything about Jason is screaming 'I'm not sleeping!' rather obviously. Dick isn't sure whether it's because Jason is choosing not to, can't, or a mix of both. He'll have to ask him later.

It takes Dick about an hour to fix Jason up, and once he has finished and cleaned up, Dick thinks they both need a good night's sleep. They can discuss this problem more in the morning. Dick begins to explain this to Jason, but he is abruptly cut off by Jason shooting foreward in bed, gripping Dick's wrist, whcih had been pulling the covers down, painfully.

" _ **NO.**_ "

For a moment, Dick can only stare in fear.

Yes, Dick is afraid.

Not because of the painfully tight grip on his wrist that almost certainly will leave a nasty bruise.

Not because of the way the one word, "sleep" had fueled Jason with enough strength to sit up and attempt to block Dick, when before Jason couldn't even stand.

Not because of how Jason's body trembled so hard he looked as though he were vibrating like a speedster.

Not because of how all the blood in Jason's face had drained, making him look like a ghost.

Dick could list a few more scary things Jason was doing that he was not afraid of, but the fear that was choking his gut made his tongue feel like sandpaper, and he couldn't move.

The room was dark, something Dick hadn't noticed until now. A chilly breeze blew in from the open window. The dark curtains blew gently with it, and the breeze tousled Jason's hair, his white bangs dancing around his forehead, making him look even more eerie. The space around the bed was bathed in a green light, and it wasn't from a creepy nightlight. Nope. Dick's eyes were glued to Jason's, and he found he couldn't look away. Jason's eyes were filled with haunting pain, suffering, and fear.

And they were _glowing_ a fucking _neon green._


	7. Chapter 7

It took Dick a long while to finally regain his voice.

"J-Jay?" He whispered. Jason blinked, as if only now realizing what was happening. He released his grip on Dick's wrist immediately, scooting backwards until his back was pressed up against the headboard of Dick's bed, drawing his knees to his chest, somehow despite his injuries. Jason blinked hard a few times, and the neon green light faded from his eyes. The room was suddenly much darker, and Dick was shocked at how bright Jason's eyes must have been glowing.

"I-I'm sorry," Jason whispered faintly, and if Dick hadn't still been frozen in shock he wouldn't have heard the broken voice. Dick shook himself, realizing that he still had his Nightwing suit on and hadn't taken a shower yet.

"I'll be right back." Dick whispered, missing the look of raw panic that filled Jason's eyes as he left the room. Dick entered the bathroom and closed the door. He striped from his suit, sitting on the toilet seat as he waited for the water to warm up in the shower. Seeing his phone sitting on the counter, he picked it up and unlocked it. The text he saw from Bruce made his blood boil.

 _Are you okay? Is everything alright?_

Dick took a deep breath, however he couldn't stop the angry tears from rolling down his cheeks. _It wasn't_ _fair!_ Yeah, Jason's way of stopping crime was wrong, compared to Bruce's standards, and for a while that's all the family could think about. Hell, it's probably still the only thing the family could think about. Dick had stepped out of his blind stupor when Tim had come home after missing for a week. He had told Bruce, Damian, and Alfred that he was really sorry, but the fight he'd had with Bruce had pushed him over the edge and he had needed some time on his own. The cold glare anyone would receive after asking Tim where he had stayed was frightening, and caused the questioner to hold any further inquiries, even Damian. Tim didn't wish to discuss it, and it was hard to tell if Tim was lying. Tim _had_ been fighting with Bruce before he disappeared, and he'd yelled about him 'having enough' and how he 'couldn't take it anymore'. Bruce may not have actually believed Tim, however he'd made an effort to not fight as much with the teen or push him.

The night Tim had come home, however, he had came to Dick's room with a confession. He told Dick that, although the fight with Bruce had initially caused Tim to escape into the night as Red Robin, he hadn't actually intended to leave for so long. He had been distracted by his emotions and allowed himself to get stabbed. Jason had found him, taken him to his safe-house, and taken care of him until he had been ready to leave. Not without forcing Tim to promise to never say a word to Bruce, of had told Dick because he knew Dick really cared about his younger brother, and thought that maybe this information could snap him back into reality to actually realize that fact.

It did.

 _Fuck you Bruce._

With that said, Dick stepped into the shower, a bit of the tenison lifted from his shoulders. It may have only been a little bit, but it made a difference, and it filled Dick with a strange sort of hopeful feeling. He could save Jason. He could fix the screwed up relationship they had. He could prove to Jason that he mattered and that Dick loved him.

He would.

oOo

Finished with his shower, which only lasted about six minutes, Dick towelled off his hair, and pulled on his pajamas; a deep blue t-shirt and a pair of grey sweats. Stepping back into his room, he was met with complete blackness. Dick switched on a lamp beside his bed, and was shocked to see Jason in the same position as he was before. He was trembling, silent tears rolling down his cheeks as he stared at the bed in silence.

 _Shit!_

"Jay," Dick murmured, climbing into the bed to sit beside his brother. Jason noticeably stiffened, however remained silent, choosing to ignore Dick's greeting.

"Little Wing, you know I'm not mad at you, right?" Dick asked, contemplating whether it was okay to touch the younger man. _Boy._ Dick corrected himself in his head. _Jason was only 15 when he died. He's still mentally a boy, in some aspects._

Jason glanced at Dick out of the corner of his eye. "You...you're not?" He asked softly, voice raspy from the tears.

"No of course not Jay! To be honest I was just a little spooked, that's all." Jason's gae dropped to the floor, and Dick mentally winced. _That came out wrong._

"So, you're afraid of me." Jason said flatly, more tears running down his face. "It's okay. I would be too." Horror gripped Dick's gut and squeezed.

"No! No that's not it! I'm not afraid of _you_ , Jason, I was just spooked 'cause I didn't know you could do that. How, exactly, can you do that?" Jason frowned, and gave the smallest of shrugs.

"I don't know. It happened when I...uh, wh-when I came back." Jason explained quickly. _Mental note: Jason's death scares him._ Dick thought. Perhaps that was the cause behind some of Jason's odd behavior.

"What causes it?" Dick asked. "Or, do you just like...do it?"

"It happens whenever I get like, bad emotions; like if I'm frightened or angry or something. Sometimes...well often I get these sensory overload things, and it gets bad. The light also sorta dampens my emotions. If I let it get bad...well...people die." Jason said.

"What about sleeping made you scared?" Dick asked, and immediately regretted it as Jason's pupils dilated, his breath shortening, his face quickly growing pale.

"Hey, hey it's okay, it's okay, Jay. We don't have to do that. How about we just lay under the covers? We don't have to sleep. Just lay there. That okay, BlueJay?" Dick reassures him, and Jason nods, allowing Dick to maneuver him so he's laying down, pulling the blanket around them both. Dick turns out the lamp, his eyes adjusting quickly to see Jason trembling beside him. Dick runs a comforting hand through Jason's hair.

"It's okay, BlueJay. I'm here." Dick whispers, and it's not long before both boys are asleep.


End file.
